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At Southern Nuclear, we expect the unexpected and prepare for it

At Southern Nuclear, we expect the unexpected and prepare for it

Our top priority in everything we do is the safety of our employees, neighbors and plant operations. We take a proactive approach in the safe operation of clean, reliable and affordable nuclear energy by expecting the unexpected and preparing for it.

Nuclear energy facilities are among the most robust, secure facilities ever built. They have multiple layers of protection including structural strength, highly trained operators and security forces, and proven emergency plans. They also have redundant safety systems that are designed to withstand the impact of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and floods.

We maintain comprehensive emergency preparedness plans developed in accordance with federal requirements by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other oversight agencies. These emergency plans were designed to protect the health and safety of the public in the event of an emergency at any of our nuclear facilities. Our plans also include close collaboration with various county, state and federal agencies.

In addition, following Fukushima, the U.S. nuclear industry developed a flexible, diverse coping strategy to protect U.S. plants against extreme events. The strategy, called FLEX, includes built-in safety systems at the plant and adds portable emergency equipment such as generators, battery packs, pumps, air compressors and battery chargers to the plant site. It also has a third component – two emergency response centers, one in Memphis and one in Phoenix. Each of these secure, 80,000-square-foot facilities has five sets of equipment that can be transported by truck or air to a plant site anywhere in the U.S. in 24 hours.